Absorbent felt and article made therefrom



Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY PHILIP SHOPNEOK, OF DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ARDENBOX TOE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS ABSORBENT FELT AND ARTIOLE MADE THEREFROM No Drawing.

This invention has for its object the production of a substitute material for the various Wool, cotton, and flannel felts used-in the manufacture of box toes for shoes.

Box toes for shoes are made after two separate and distinct methods of manufacture. The first method consists in first forming an absorbent fibrous base material, then impregnating or saturating it with a normally hard thermo-plastic binder, and after allowing the binder to set and harden, cutting out and skiving suitable sizes and shapes therefrom. The second method consists in first forming an absorbent fibrous base material, then impregnating or saturating it with such materials as celluloid or pyroxylin, and, after separating the solvent with which the celluloid had been rendered fluid, cutting out and skiving suitable sizes and shapes therefrom.

The absorbent fibrous material usually used heretofore has been a steam-felted wool felt, which was very expensive to make, was fairly rough on its surface, and stretched so much in lasting that it did not properly follow the lines of the last. Recently there has been proposed other absorbent box toe felts, which, although possessing many good qualities, did not constitute an ideal substitute for the universally used wool felt.

After many experiments, I have succeeded in producing a substitute absorbent fibrous material which entirely overcomes all of the objections to the various felts and substitute felts heretofore proposed or used in the manufacture of box toes for shoes.

In carrying out my invention I take a fibrous pulp such as waste textile rags (mixed rags containing more or less wool) or a mix ture of such rags and other fibres such as cellulose pulps, asbestos, with or without inert filling materials such as clay, celite,

and so forth, and treat it in a beater or hollander until all of the fibres have been smoothly brushed out. I then add, relatively long silk fibres, and brush out the mixture without, however, cutting the silk fibres. After mixing the stock with a large volume of water, I sheet it out on a cylinder machine.

I obtain the silk fibre from the usual Application filed January 1, 1927. Serial No. 158,813.

sources, such as the waste from spun silk mills, silk-thread mill shearings, and discarded silk rags. I usually fiberize the silk clips by passing them through a textile picking machine which turns out a fibre about an inch long.

By preparing the felt in this manner I obtain a highly absorbent smooth felt having relatively long silk fibres distributed through fibred silk rags, and, as an alternative formula, 73% textile rags (shredded and containing equal percentages of cotton and wool) 23% long fibred silk threads, and 4% asbestos fibre.

For various other uses to which this felt may be put, such as flooring felt, roofing felt,

insole felt for shoes, and other uses, I may increase or decrease the relative percentages of basic short fibres, and relatively longer silk fibres. I may, obviously, vary the density, degree of absorbency, and unit weight of the felt by using various fibres and combination of fibres as part of the short fibred base. All such variations in the composition of the felt are to be considered within the scope of my invention, as described in the claims appended hereto, and are easily understood by those skilled in the art.

In using this silk fibred felt for box toe manufacture, the dry sheet is im regnated or, saturated with a waterproo thermoplastic binder, such as a suitable mixture of asphalt and resin, by immersing the felt in a molten bath of the saturant, scraping off the clinging excess fluid saturant, cooling the saturated sheet, cutting and skiving suitably shaped box toe blanks, and finally lasting it as part of the toe portion of a shoe. The elt may also be used in the manufacture of box toes for shoes by dipping the felt in a celluloid as part of the box toe portion of a shoe. Other impregnants such as gelatin or glue solutions may be used as stifleners for the felt.

The main object in using long fibres of silk in the felt is to permit the impregnated products made from it to be easily moulded over a last without tearing the blank or rupturing the fibrous base of which it is composed. Silk fibre accomplishes this purpose better than any fibre heretofore proposed because it has a ver fine and thin structure which permits it to e easily felted on a cylinder machine,

because fewer fibres are required to prevent rupturing of the blank in lasting, and finally because it yields a felt which is very smooth and whichcan therefore be used in manufacturing shoes made without the use of tipdoublers. This lack of smoothness in box toe felts has been the vital drawback to the use of water-laid felts in box toe manufacture.

By the term silk fibre, as used in the appended claims, are either the natural silk fibre of the cocoon, or the various textile blends of the silk fibre with such other fibres as artificial silk, cotton, wool, and so forth.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A box toe material consisting of a fibrous pulp having relatively longer silk fibres distributed therethrough in felted relation therewith, and impregnated with a thermoplastic binder.

2. A box toe material consisting of a textile rag pulp and relatively longer silk fibres in uniform felted relation with each other, and impregnated with a thermoplastic binder.

I 3. A box toe material comprising an absorbent felt consisting of a fibrous ul having relatively longer silk fibres distributed therethrough and in felted relation therewith, and impregnated with a stiffening agent.

4. The method of making a felted box toe stock which consists in forming a sheet from a beaten fibrous pulp to which has been added relatively longer silk fibres, and in subsequently saturating said sheet in a thermoplastic binder.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

HENRY PHILIP SHOPNECK. 

